


A Painted Paradise

by comebaekhome



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, Fluff, Gross misunderstandings of how art works, M/M, Maaaaagic, Magic, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 08:55:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11204667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebaekhome/pseuds/comebaekhome
Summary: Sometimes Jongdae's not sure who's more delusional, him or his idiot friends.





	A Painted Paradise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [djjdkim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/djjdkim/gifts).



> wOw  
> disclaimer: this was a lot of 4am writing and my thoughts are all over the place and nothing makes sense but i worked hard to get it done ;-;  
> also a birthday gift for a sweet lil bub!!! much love to u djjdkim

It was a day like many he had seen before. 

He sat in front of his blank canvas, paintbrush in hand without a single direction to go in. 

Inspiration was hard to come by, but for Kim Jongdae, it felt nearly impossible. He swiveled around in his chair, throwing his head back as he turned to face the large windows of his studio apartment groaning in annoyance. He stood exaggeratedly from his stool, nearly throwing down the paintbrush in his hand before remembering how well they had treated him before his art block and feeling guilty for considering throwing it to the ground, instead placing it gently on the edge of the easel. 

He carded a hand through his hair as he strolled around the open space, coming to a stop in his kitchen as he sifted through the fridge. He let out a sigh at the upsetting lack of food inside, closing the door and reopening it repeatedly in hopes that something new would reappear. Nothing ever did. 

Times were tough for the young artist, living between paychecks at his part-time job teaching art classes on the weekends and the occasional commission from a small pool of buyers. That is, if he could actually manage to create a piece that would satisfy both a customer and himself. 

He supposes that there was a time when this was all so much easier for him- when inspiration came as easily as breathing did, when he felt like it all gave him some sense of fulfilment. 

But that was all in the past now, and now all there was was the empty canvas on his easel and the empty feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He leant back in the seat of his chair, twirling a pencil in his hand as he watched the room. It was almost completely silent, save for the soft scratching sound of graphite meeting the surface of sketchbooks. His gaze travelled over all of his students, all too engrossed in their drawings to notice the jealousy radiating off their teacher, Jongdae more upset than he'd like to admit because a group of high school students were having an easier time drawing than he was. 

He had his own sketchbook perched on his lap, feet resting on the edge of the large chair as he incessantly tapped out a rhythm on its cover, stopping when one of his students looked up to glare at him. He swallowed hard, straightening his back and resting his feet back on the ground, gaze flickering around the room until the student looked back down at their work. 

Great. Add 'easily intimidated by high schoolers' to the list of things currently wrong with Kim Jongdae. 

He sighed as his phone buzzed against his thigh, digging his hand into his pocket to fish the object out, giving the screen a quick glance. 

Park Chanyeol  
_jongdae_

Park Chanyeol  
_jjoooongdaedae_  
_jongjongjongdaedae_  
_answer me u little shit_  
_(_ _ㆁ_ _ᴗ_ _ㆁ_ _✿_ _)_  
_y do u h8 me so much huh kim jongjong_

Jongdae rolled his eyes as he unlocked his phone.

Kim Jongdae  
_can you shut up_  
_you overgrown fairy_

Park Chanyeol  
_(_ _ﾉ_ _◕_ _ヮ_ _◕_ _)_ _ﾉ_ _*:_ _・ﾟ_ _✧_  
_JONGJONG YOU REPLIED!!  
YOU /DO/ LOVE ME!!!_

Kim Jongdae  
_you make it hard for me sometimes_

Park Chanyeol   
_(_ _づ￣_ _³_ _￣_ _)_ _づ_

Kim Jongdae  
_is there a reason you're bothering me_

Park Chanyeol  
_actually yes_  
_there's this thing coming up next week_  
_idk if you heard about it_  
_but our school is having a reunion_

Kim Jongdae  
_no_

Park Chanyeol  
_r u trying to deny that it's happening_

Kim Jongdae  
_I mean no, I'm not going_

Park Chanyeol  
_how did you know that I was even gonna ask u to go_  
_^^;_

Kim Jongdae  
_because you're you, yeol_  
_you're about as subtle as a pack of wild buffalo_  
_my point remains_  
_I'm not going_

Park Chanyeol  
_but whyyyyyyyy  
:((((((((((_

Kim Jongdae  
_I hated 90% of that school  
the only people I didn't hate are people that I can see whenever I want _

Park Chanyeol  
_but_  
but  
please?  
_（_ _○´Δ_ _｀人）_

Kim Jongdae  
_no._

The man locked his phone without another word, clearing his throat as he spared a glance at the time before standing from his seat.

"Great work today, guys," he said, stretching out his back before moving to place his pencils back into his bag. He spared the blank sheets of his sketchbook a glance before sighing. "I'll see you guys again next week."  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was starting to find it hard to get out of bed. 

It took all of his strength in that moment to pick up his phone, buzzing incessantly on his nightstand. He peeled an eye open to check what was bothering his beauty sleep, ready to fling his phone across the room when he saw who was calling. He gritted his teeth as he answered the call.

"What?" he asked, trying to let as much venom seep into his tone as possible.

 _"Someone seems cranky~"_ the voice on the other end singsonged, Jongdae ready to crush the device in his hand.

"It's morning and I am  _not_  in the mood for your shit right now, Chanyeol." 

_"I remember there was a time you used to me nice to me, Dae."_

"I'm hanging up."

_"Hang up if you want, I'll still be waiting for you at your door."_

"W-Wha-?" Jongdae stuttered as his eyes opened wider at the sound of a loud knock at his front door.

_"I'm hurt, really. Your key isn't behind the potted plant like it normally is. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you moved it away because you've stopped trusting me."_

Jongdae clenches his fist as he gets up from the bed, almost throwing his front door open to see Chanyeol's idiotic smile greeting him from the other side of the door.

"Good morning!" he said with a large smile, lowering the phone from his ear. 

"I swear to god, Chanyeol, I am  _this_  close to running to my kitchen and grabbing a spoon to castrate you with."

The taller frowned. "A spoon? I don't think that'll be very effective."

"Exactly. All the better to torture you with," the smaller boy scowled. "Now why are you here?"

The tall boy smiled wider. "I've been thinking it over, and I know that you said you didn't wanna go to the reunion, but I kept wondering if there was anything I could do to change your mind."

"There isn't."

"Hear me out, though... I could help you with your art class!"

Jongdae scoffed. "You're about as artistic as-"

"No no no, not to help teach. I could help model! In the nude!" 

"I'd prefer it if my students didn't leave my class scarred for life, thank you very much." 

"That's rude. I'll have you know that I've passed down multiple nude modelling jobs."

The smaller scoffed again. 

"It's true! People just can't resist my delicious body-"

"Either shut up or get out before I vomit, Park." 

"I'm gonna pretend like I didn't hear that because you're coming with me to the reunion!" 

"Not happening."

"But Daeee!" Chanyeol whined. "Then all the other kids will laugh at me because I'm sad and alone and no one will ever love me!"

Jongdae rolled his eyes. "You have a boyfriend."

"But I met him in  _uni_. It'll be weird bringing him to a high school reunion where he doesn't know anyone."

"So you'd rather take me?"

Chanyeol nodded excitedly. "Yes, because you're my bestestest friend in this whole wide world and you would do anything for my happiness."

"Guess again, Park," he said with a sigh, stretching out his limbs as he spared a glance at the clock. "Well, I guess I'm going to work early today. Get out before I blind you with my naked beauty."

Chanyeol puffed out his cheeks. "This isn't the last of this."

"Whatever you wanna tell yourself, fairy man."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"So when you guys do your skeletal gestures, don't forget you still need to draw your line of action." Jongdae said, a soft graphite pencil held expertly in his fingers as he demonstrated the long sweeping strokes on newsprint paper for the class to see. He paused for a moment to let the students adjust the drawings on their own sheets, heads turned in curiosity when a loud crash sounded from outside. 

Jongdae tilted his head in curiosity, about to draw the curtains back from the window when he heard familiar grunts. He barely had enough time to curse under his breath when a telltale mop of curly hair burst through the window, followed by the lanky body of its owner. 

"Oh, Jongdae~" Chanyeol called as he climbed through the small opening in the window, top half naked, bottom half (thankfully) wrapped around the curtains as the giant forced himself into the classroom. "I'm here for my modelling job!" 

Jongdae clenched his fist around the pencil, marching up to the lump on his classroom floor.

"Of all the insane, stupid, idiotic,  _hare-brained, crazy, **moronic, lunatic**_  things you could have done-" Jongdae began, punctuating each word with a punch to his friend's side. 

"Ow, ow, oww!! JongJong, you're hurting me!" Chanyeol whined. 

 _"Good!_ Your sheer idiocy hurts me on a daily basis!" Jongdae huffed as the taller slowly got to his feet, curtain wrapped around his body like a dress. The shorter huffed when he glanced over at his students, half of them covering their faces in embarrassment, half of them documenting the experience on their phones. "There are children here with smartphones and internet access. If you don't get out of this room in 10 seconds, I have no qualms with neutering you!" 

"I hardly think that's fair. I just wanna spend some time with my bestest best friend in the whole wide forever and ever," he said, jutting his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout as he flashed the class his best kicked-puppy look. He let out a soft sigh. "I mean, I understand... People don't usually like hanging out with me anyways... I'll just go home, maybe buy a tub of ice cream I can cry into." he said, shuffling away pathetically from Jongdae, though the drapes wrapped around him was still very much attached to the curtain rod above. 

"M-Mr. Kim, maybe you should go to the thing with your... uh... friend." one of his students piped up, met with the agreeing hums of their classmates. 

"Y-Yeah! I mean, it can't get much worse than- uh, jumping into a class of high schoolers without clothes on." 

Jongdae groaned, rubbing his temple with his finger. “Fine.” He grumbled.

Chanyeol’s face lit up almost immediately, running back to the younger and clinging onto his arm. “Really? Chenchen, do you mean that?”

The shorter gave Chanyeol a glare that sent chills down his spine. “Yes, Chanyeol, I will go with you to the reunion.” He says calmly before lowering his voice. “But I swear on Toben’s life that if you _ever_ try this shit on me again, I will personally see to it that your dick is painfully removed from your body.”

“Great!” Chanyeol shouted. “That’s good enough for me! I’ll pick you up next Friday at 8! It’s casual, so come prepared, bud!”

“I hate you.”

“Love you too!” Chanyeol calls as he climbs back out the window, still buck naked.

“I hope the police catch you naked and arrest you.”

“Aw, I know you’d bail me out anyways.”

“I really wouldn’t.”

“Then good thing for me I kept my clothes in this bush then, huh? Chanyeollie’s just one step ahead- FUCK JONGDAE SOME ASSHOLE KIDS RAN AWAY WITH MY CLOTHES!”

Jongdae sighs, pulling a tarp off an old easel and throwing it out the window. “You’re lucky I’m not as much of an asshole as you are.”

“Love ya, JongJong!”

“You’re the worst.” He calls out as his friend runs away, turning back to his class, the kids still either gaping or filming the entire interaction.

“This… Doesn’t get back to your parents, alright?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday comes sooner than Jongdae would have liked it to, and with it came Chanyeol, ready to whisk the younger away for the night. The reunion was held in the same dingy old gym that Jongdae remembered from his school days, decorated poorly like a middle school dance. He took in a deep breath.

_Still smelled like broken dreams and disappointment._

And he still didn't miss it.              

The night wore on far too long for Jongdae’s liking, watching leisurely from his seat as he watched one of the more popular girls of their graduating class awkwardly try to flirt with Chanyeol, the tall man sparing her the embarrassment of letting her know that no, he really wasn’t interested in her, or her gender, for that matter, not that it would’ve mattered if he was because he was already in a committed relationship. It didn’t take long before some of her old friends joined in on the fun, crowding Chanyeol and asking for his number after seeing how well he had turned out.

Chanyeol cast Jongdae a desperate glance, silently begging him for help, but the shorter only smiled, shrugging as if to say, ‘ _that’s what you get for dragging me here.’_

While watching his very tall, very gay best friend get hit on by a group of shorter girls was amusing for some time, there was something Jongdae realised as he sat in his seat, watching the vaguely familiar faces of yesteryear pass by. It seemed strange more than anything, seeing these people he had used to go to school with all grown up, all so different while being so similar.

The cliques of the school seemed to gravitate towards each other like they had so long ago- those who spent their school days playing sports together had found one another, those who spent their school days splurging over the newest boy bands together had done the same. Those who didn’t find themselves in any clique in particular were sat next to their partners, sharing moments secret to everyone but themselves.

All Jongdae had there was Chanyeol and a few others he hadn’t even bothered to keep in touch with, and with the absence of the taller, it was evidently clear to him that he didn’t have many close friends other than the giant and his boyfriend, certainly not anyone he could consider entering a relationship with.

Life, at some point, had just began feeling dull for him.

He couldn’t find joy in art, not with the block that had stopped him from getting anything done for the past few weeks. Hanging out with the few friends he had didn’t provide him with any fulfillment.

Jongdae spends the rest of the night there, but not present. Chanyeol noticed this as the night wore on, watching his friend in concern.

“We can leave early if you want,” he had offered. “It’s not too big of a deal, I dragged you here anyways.”

The younger nodded softly, still not completely paying attention.

He goes to bed that night restless, spending hours staring at the white ceiling of his bedroom, rolling around a bed much too large for just one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I want to find love.” Jongdae declares a week later over coffee refills with his friend.

“What happened to your ‘I’m married to my art’ thing?” Baekhyun asked, raising a brow.

“Art block happened. I need someone in my life that I can marry that I won’t have a ‘block’ with.”

Baekhyun hummed. “I don’t know about that. I can tell you now that Chanyeol certainly makes _me_ wanna throw a block at him from time to time.”

Jongdae chuckled. “Still angry at him?”

The elder pouted. “Maybe.”

“You know he means well, Baek.”

“Yeah, yeah, he always does. But if I milk this longer, he might just let me buy Mongryong those designer dog toys I’ve been wanting to get him.”

“You’re terrible.”

“But Mongryongie deserves the best and he won’t let me buy them because he thinks they’re dumb!”

Jongdae hummed, absentmindedly stirring his drink around.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a week later that Baekhyun comes to him, claiming to have solved all his problems.

“I’ve solved all your problems!” he said.

“Please elaborate.”

“There’s this guy I know in my music theory class who’s very cute and also very single~”

“So, you- “

“So, I set you two up!”

“Baek…”

“I know you might be skeptical, but you never know until you give it a try! Who knows, he could be the one!”

Jongdae sighed. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot.”

“Perfect! Your date is next Tuesday, at the café by your apartment.”

“You scheduled a date for me?” Jongdae asked in disbelief. “What if I’m busy that day?”

“I know your schedule by heart, JongJong. I know you have no classes, and you only ever hang out with us.”

Jongdae pursed his lips. “Maybe I made a new friend that you don’t know about…” he muttered.

“Mmm, don’t see anyone new in your contacts, and there’s nothing on your planner for the next few weeks…” Baekhyun said, scrolling through his phone.

“How would you even know that? D-Do you have my information on your phone?”

“It’s a wonderful time to be alive, my friend. I’ve taken the liberty of adding the date information to your planner for you, because I’m a good friend that doesn’t want you to die alone, so… Just dress pretty.” Baekhyun said, patting his friend’s cheek before bidding him farewell, leaving Jongdae alone with nothing but plans for a date with a person he didn’t know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His date turns out to be a Chinese transfer student older than him by 2 years. He majored in health sciences before graduating university and moving on to become a physiologist.

And that was about all Jongdae got out of Luhan, his blind date for the day, before the elder had gone off on a tangent that lasted the rest of their 3-hour date.

That tangent being Mad Ice of Luhan’s all-time favourite boy band.

“And this is Mad Ice at the airport the other day,” Luhan said, flipping through pictures on his phone. “Oh my god, he’s so adorable I could squish his little cheeks! And this is him looking in my direction at the airport! I swear to you, I almost fainted right then!”

“Your photos are… really good.”

“I’d hope so! After all, I _do_ run the #1 Mad Ice fan site of all time.”

“You… what?”

“It’s called Yuri on Mad Ice! Like the anime? What I do is take pictures of Mad Ice, and Photoshop him into scenes of the anime!”

Jongdae forced a smile. “C-Cool!”

“Right? So, this is Mad Ice’s face on Yuri’s body, and this is Mad Ice skating with Victor, and- aw, this is one of my favourites, it’s Mad Ice and Yurio- “

“Are those two…”

“Kissing, yes! Yurio’s one of my favourite characters, and Mad Ice is hands down my favourite person, so I thought it’d work. I already wrote quite a lot of fanfiction about the two, maybe next time I can bring it and you can read some! I’ve also written a screenplay or two with Mad YurIce- that’s what I like to call the ship. Maybe we can act it out!”

“I, uh- “

“You know, I wasn’t sure if a blind date would be a good idea, but I’m really happy Baekhyun talked me into it. I had a fun time. I’d love to see you again, Jongdae.”

The younger put on a strained smile. “Y-Yeah…” he said.

Luhan took the sleeve off of Jongdae’s cup, scribbling something down before passing it back. “This is me. Call me.” he says with a wink, standing from her seat and taking his cup.

Spoiler alert: Jongdae doesn’t call Luhan.

 

 

Baekhyun’s next blind date for him comes in the form of a finance major named Junmyeon. He seems kind enough, bringing Jongdae to one of the most expensive restaurants in the area for a prepaid 3 course meal by the elder. He sits up impossibly straight, so straight it was a little ridiculous. He wore a bright smile as he spoke to Jongdae, hands clasped together in his lap as the younger tried to make conversation.

“So…” Jongdae began, tapping his fingers against the table. “What are your plans for the weekend?”

Junmyeon hummed. “Nothing big, I was just planning to stay in this weekend… Maybe re-watch some movies.”

“Movies? What do you plan on watching?”

Junmyeon cast his eyes down. “S-Star Wars?”

“Oh, that’s cool. I’ve never really watched the movies though.”

“You haven’t?” Junmyeon asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, I never really got around to it.”

There was a tell-tale sparkle in Junmyeon’s eyes as he leaned forward in excitement. “I hope I’m not being too forward, but would you like to come over this weekend to watch them with me?”

Jongdae smiled. “I don’t see why not.” he had said, not realizing what he had really just agreed to.

Because standing in Junmyeon’s room, covered wall to floor in Star Wars memorabilia, Jongdae could begin to see _exactly **why not.**_

“This is my little Anakin doll, I sleep with him sometimes when I’m lonely. Some people don’t really like him, which I completely understand, but I feel like they also forget to cherish the potential in his character…” Junmyeon began, petting the hair of the plush. “He was a renowned Jedi for _years_ before Palpatine got to him, and even then, Anakin only became a Sith lord because he was desperate to save his wife-“

It was somewhere between the fifth retelling of Kylo Ren’s backstory and an unapologetic spiel about how the Death Star was doomed from the very beginning that Jongdae tunes out.

He manages to last through the first two movies before the clock struck 12 and Jongdae decided he had enough of the Star Wars series stuffed in his face.

“I really hope we can do this again soon!” Junmyeon had said excitedly as he watched the younger leave his apartment. “I had a lot of fun!”

                                

 

His third blind date was a performance major named Kim Jongin, known as Kai to fans of his dance. Jongdae was mostly surprised Baekhyun had even managed to get the school heartthrob to go on a date with him, but he wasn’t gonna look _this_ gift horse in the mouth. Jongin was basically sex on legs, with a gaze so intense it could send anyone swooning. He’s more flustered than anything when he finds himself seated across from the charismatic boy, all mussed up hair and deep gazes.

“So…” Jongin began, thrumming his fingers against the table. “How do you feel… About dogs?”

“D-Dogs?” Jongdae asked, unsure if he heard the younger correctly.

Jongin nodded. “Yeah, dogs.”

“I… I like them. I think they’re cute.”

“Ah…” Jongin nodded. “Do you have any dogs?”

Jongdae shook his head. “Do you?”

Jongin let out a single hearty chuckle. _“Do I.”_

“Oh… That’s cool.”

“You think so?” Jongin asked, charismatic demeanour all but gone as he hurriedly unlocked his phone. “I _love_ dogs.”

“How many do you have?” Jongdae asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

“3! This sweet little angel here is Jjang-Ah- oh she’s just so precious!” he says, covering his wide smile with his hand as he flipped through the pictures of his dogs on his phone. “Aw! And this little ball of fluffy fuzzy wuzzy lil fatty watty is my little Jjang-Gu!”

Jongdae blinked, unsure of when the sex on legs the campus knew became the adorable dog obsessed child he saw before him.

“And my sweetest little baby, Mong-Gu!”

Jongin spends the rest of their date fawning over pictures of his own dogs, so much so that Jongdae was almost convinced the younger forgot he was out on a date. There was something he appreciated about such a pure love for dogs, but he knew this would be the first and last time the two would ever spend being ‘romantically involved’.

“Maybe next time, I can introduce you to all my precious little babies!” Jongin had exclaimed, clutching his phone close to his chest as the two were about to part ways.

Jongdae smiled. “Sure, why not?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _“None of them?”_ Baekhyun asked in disbelief, voice too loud for a midnight phone call.

“Luhan was a nut job- “

_“Okay, I think nut job is a little much. How bad could he have been?”_

“Google Yuri on Mad Ice and try to convince me otherwise.”

_“I don’t- Oh… Oh no…”_

“Yeah. Junmyeon was a cool person, he was super nice, but I think he just wanted me there so he could fanboy about Star Wars.”

_“What about Jongin?”_

“Uh… Well, I’m seeing him next week- “

_“Hey! That’s awesome!”_

“To go see his dogs.”

_“That’s cute!”_

“Yeah. I don’t think we’re anywhere near relationship, though.”

Baekhyun smacked his lips. _“Well… You could always get a cat.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongdae sighed as he stared up at the ceiling, quietly counting out all the little bumps he could find. He rolled over on his side, trying to coax himself to sleep but his body wasn’t having any of that.

The boy let out a soft groan as he lifted his sheets up to cover his face, breathing deeply.

Sleep hadn’t been coming easy to Jongdae lately, the boy finding it harder and harder to sleep before the sun rose.

He drifts off a few times, never fully staying asleep for too long.

But in the early hours of the morning, as the sun began to shine on the city, he comes to Jongdae in a dream.

A boy so beautiful, so unlike any he had ever seen before.

His cat-like eyes were a light brown, disappearing into crescents when he smiled his gummy smile. His hair was a light brown as well, covering his forehead and stopping just short of his brows. He almost matched Jongdae in height, standing only a few centimeters shorter than the boy himself. When he laughed, it was like angels were singing, when he smiled, it was like the sun was finally shining.

Jongdae’s eyes shot open at the first chirps of the birds in the early morning. The sun was barely up, the sky still mostly a dark blue blanket covering the city, but Jongdae didn’t care.

He ripped the blankets off his body and rushed to his canvas to paint the boy before his smiling face escaped his mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was hours before Jongdae had left his canvas. For the first time in months, he found it hard to tear himself away. The canvas that had sat blank, that had been mocking him for so long, was now the only thing fueling his exhausted self.

He was drunk, drunk on the feeling of the bristles against the canvas, on the intoxicating scent of acrylics flooding his apartment.

Jongdae takes a step back, stretching out his back, sore from spending so much time hunched over his masterpiece. His fingers hurt the moment he unwrapped them from his paintbrush, the boy massaging out his hand as he smiled widely at the work of art.

“Minseok.” He said quietly at the image. “Minseok.” He repeated after a moment, softer this time.                 

He admired the soft curves of his own painting, the boy- Minseok, as Jongdae had chosen to call him- looking as beautiful as he had in the boy’s dream. His soft features, his rounded cheeks, everything about the boy was flawless to Jongdae.

It all brought a spring to his step, not going unnoticed by his friends.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Baekhyun asked.

Jongdae smiled. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing, my ass. Don’t tell me…” Baekhyun began. “Did you… Get a boyfriend?”

Jongdae shook his head. “Am I not allowed to just be happy, Baek?”

“You’re allowed to be happy, Dae. I just wanna know if there’s something- or someone- making you so happy. If there’s anyone making you… feel good.” Baekhyun continues, brows raised suggestively.

“Oh my god, Baekhyun, I swear- “

“Look, we’re adults and I don’t think it’s inappropriate for us to talk about! And if one of my best friends are getting laid, I wanna know!”

“That’s crude.”

“You don’t get to judge me, Mr. I-Sleep-With-People-And-Refuse-To-Tell-My-Best-Friend-About-It!”

“I’m not sleeping with anyone!”

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Baek, I’m sure I’m not sleeping with anyone.”

“Sure? For suresies? Knowing that if I find out you’re lying, it’ll hurt my heart ever forever?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Fine. But I’ve got my eye on you, Dae.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Baek. How’re things with you and Yeol?”

Baekhyun perked up. “They’re great, thanks for asking! And guess whose sweetest, most adorablest dog has the designer dog toys he deserves?”

“Mong-“

“Mongryong! Oh, that sweet boy just deserves everything from the moon and back!”

“Chanyeol was okay with it?”

“It took a while of pestering, but I finally got him to budge! I got some for Toben too! All dogs are beautiful little bubs that deserve every happy thing in the world.”

“Wow… You… Have a problem.”

“If my only problem is loving dogs too much, then so be it.”

“Whatever you say, Baek.”

The elder smiled, seemingly satisfied for a moment before it dropped right back into a pout. “Stop trying to distract me with dogs! You _know_ they’re my weak point! I just wanna know what’s making my bestest best friend so happy!”

“I got over my art block.”

Baekhyun’s face lit back up. “You did?”

Jongdae nodded.

“It’s been, what, 3 months now? I’m proud of you, bud!”

The younger smiled. “It’s not that big of a deal, really.”

“You were in a slump, and now you’re not. I consider that a big deal.”

And as much as Jongdae didn’t want to admit it, his friend was right. From that morning, he spent more time painting than he could ever remember. Every canvas he touched, every sketchbook page he filled, they were all his new muse. They were all Minseok. He spent his time experimenting with colour palettes on the boy, changing his hair from its original brown to a deep purple, then to a soft bubblegum pink. No matter what he did to change his appearance, the boy was still shone as brilliantly as ever.

It was only a few days through his art craze that he took a step back and looked at Minseok, _really_ looked at Minseok.

His expression was serene, his soft features as beautiful as they always were. But the more time Jongdae spends looking through his art, the sadder Minseok seems to look.

 

He looks lonely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It begins with small things.

He tries to paint Minseok happier, tries to surround him with things and people, but it only makes him look more isolated than before. Jongdae sighs, looking at the boy in the canvas.

“I’m sorry,” he began. “You don’t deserve to be lonely.”

The boy in the frame seemed almost understanding, looking back at Jongdae with a soft expression. Jongdae gazes back for a moment.

“Maybe I can fix things for you.” He said quietly, taking out his sketchbook.  

Jongdae creates something of a narrative for the painted boy. From the still portrait paintings of his likeness, Jongdae begins to paint him in more lively surroundings.

Jongdae begins to paint the boy with someone he could love.

 

He smiles at his work, from pictures of interlaced fingers to kisses stolen in the dark rainy nights of the city, hidden by the cover of an umbrella shared by the two, in a world that existed only for them. Footprints left in their wake as they walked together down the shoreline, moments in the early morning spent together as the sun would slowly rise over the city.

It didn't take much longer from then.

 _"Dae!"_ Chanyeol called excitedly into the receiver. _"I have some great news!"_

Jongdae hummed softly, focused on mixing his paints to get the right shade he wanted for Minseok's hair.

_"You remember Yifan, right?"_

Jongdae chuckled. "How could I forget?"

_"Well, Baek was talking to him a bit ago, and he's holding some art thing at this gallery! There's gonna be a tonne of people there, you can put your stuff out there, maybe get some new clients!"_

"W-Wow, I don't know what to say..."

_"Yes! The word you're looking for is yes!"_

Jongdae chuckles. "I guess yes it is, then."

_"Awesome! I'll go tell Yifan!"_

Jongdae smiles into the receiver. "Hey, Yeol?"

_"Yeah?"_

 

"Thanks."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nights leading up to the gallery have Jongdae hunched over his art, trying new mediums and new settings for his muse.

He finishes multiple works over the course of the next few days, working tirelessly to make something worth being noticed.

 

 

 

 

 

The night of the gallery leaves Jongdae worrying his lower lip with his teeth, trying to resist carding a hand through his already styled hair as he stood, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, feeling much too uncomfortable in his formal wear.

"Nervous?" Baekhyun asks, slapping a hand on his friend's back.

"Is it obvious?"

"As obvious as the sun is bright," the small boy says. "Don't freak yourself out too much, it'll be okay."

"What if no one bothers to look at my work?"

"You're the most talented artist I know, Dae. Don't sell yourself short because you're worried. Take a deep breath, alright?"

The younger nodded, drawing in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

"Better?" Baekhyun asked. Jongdae nodded. "Good. Now come with me. There's free food over there and I wanna get my hands on some."

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two didn't even make it halfway across the room before being stopped by a middle-aged couple led towards the pair by Chanyeol.

"There you two are. I've been looking everywhere for you guys," Chanyeol began before turning to the couple. "This is Jongdae," he says, gesturing to Jongdae.

The shorter jumped a bit, offering the couple a shy smile.

"Ah, so _you're_ the young man," the man said.

"Amazing." the woman said, holding onto her husband's arm.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Your art. It's absolutely stunning."

"Oh, wow... I don't know what to say... Thank you so much."

The woman laughed. "Don't be silly my dear, _we_ should be thanking _you_. We'd love to commission a painting from you, if you're accepting any at the moment. I'm sure you must be flooded with buyers by now."

"A-Absolutely! I'd be more than willing to."

"We'll be in touch." she says with a smile.

"I told you there would be people here interested in your stuff," Baekhyun whispered as they watched the couple walk off.

 

 

More and more come to him throughout the night, either getting his number for future commissions or to tell him how beautiful they found his work, picking out the ones they had purchased from the collection.

_"I just love how beautifully the colours come together in this piece."_

_"This piece is just beautiful. There's just something about the subjects together... They feel so strongly for each other, and I think you captured that wonderfully."_

_"It's unlike anything I've seen before. It's... gorgeous."_

The seemingly endless compliments left Jongdae beet red by the end of the night, the boy finds himself walking around the gallery a few times before it closed, a smile plastered to his face when he saw all the stickers near his work that marked it as sold. He stopped before the pinnacle of his collection, the first portrait of Minseok he had painted.

"Are you the artist?" a woman had asked softly, approaching Jongdae. The boy turned to face the stranger, answering with a soft nod.

"This is really beautiful," she said to him. "Is it up for sale?"

Jongdae stood silent for a while, eyes searching Minseok's in the painting.

"No... I'm afraid not."

The stranger smiled. "I figured. It guess it was still worth a shot. Is it someone close to you?"

Jongdae sighed. "I guess you could say that."

"Well, whoever they are... They're lucky to have someone paint them like this."

"Like this?"

"I mean, with this much love. All your works here... They're of him, aren't they?"

"How did you know?"

Jongdae turned to look at the stranger, holding in a breath. Was it that obvious?

The woman looked at him with another soft smile. "You might've covered his face, but it's obvious with the amount of detail you pour into him in all of your pieces."

Jongdae nods as his gaze drifted over the paintings hung up around the gallery.

"I guess it wasn't as much of a secret than I thought it was."

She chuckled. "I wouldn't say that. I just pride myself on being very observant," she said. "Well, I guess it's time for me to go. Have a nice night. Maybe I'll see you again, Jongdae."

"You too..." he responded absentmindedly before cocking his head in confusion. "Wait... How did you know my-" he began, turning in the direction the woman had left, but she was gone from sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jongdae wakes the next morning, something feels... different.

It's not necessarily something bad, or _him_ that's different, something just feels... different.

Jongdae rises from his bed, stretching out his tired limbs as he walked over to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. There was nothing different about his appearance- his hair was still messy from a night of rolling around in his bed, his clothes as wrinkly as ever. He breathed out a frustrated sigh.

_What could it be, then?_

He tried to shake the thought as he got himself ready, smoothing his shirt down before shouldering his bathroom door open. He walked out, through to the kitchen to get his breakfast ready, slowing his footsteps as he looked over at the canvas on the easel. The large canvas still held Minseok's likeness but... did it just blink at him?

Jongdae shook the thought out of his head. "I need to get some more sleep," he muttered to himself, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm really starting to go crazy," he continued, walking past the painting and over to the large windows, taking the time to crack one open. "Maybe it's just the paint fumes..." he reasoned with himself, chuckling. "It's probably just the fumes. I just need to get out for a bit."

He sighed, slipping his shoes on, grabbing his keys.

"I'm going down to get the mail," he called at the canvas as he unlocked his door. "Don't miss me too much," he said with a wink before leaving.

Jongdae chuckled as he stepped outside, locking the door after him. "The paint fumes are _definitely_ making me crazy."

 

 

 

 

 

Now, you could only imagine the sheer terror and confusion that struck Jongdae when he returned to his studio apartment with a stack of envelopes (which, soon fell to the floor in a messy heap) when he took one look into the living room to see an empty easel. More than that, an empty easel with an unknown boy standing next to it, hands softly grazing the wood.

"W-Who..." Jongdae stuttered, causing the boy to turn around.

Those cat-like eyes, that gummy smile...

"Hi..." Minseok spoke, voice soft and melodious.

"Y-You... You..."

The smaller walked closer to Jongdae, watching him curiously.

"M-Minseok?" he stuttered out, disbelief lacing his voice.

The small boy nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"W-What... How- How are you..."

The small boy's smile faltered for a moment, and it made Jongdae want to slap himself for being the reason his beautiful grin left his beautiful face.

"I... I don't really know." he said softly, eyes cast downwards.

"Am... Am I dreaming?" Jongdae asked himself, carding a hand through his hair.

"Well… Would you want to wake up?" Minseok asked. Jongdae looked at him, really took a good look at him. His hair was the same light brown as it had been in his first painting, eyes still their beautiful hazel colour. He looked timid, unsure, almost scared. Jongdae frowned. He wanted to wipe the look off the smaller’s face. He didn’t want Minseok to need to feel anything like this again.

“No…” Jongdae said after a moment, taking in a breath as Minseok slid his hands into the boy’s own. “I suppose I wouldn’t…”

The smaller boy offered him a soft smile. “Then, don’t worry so much, alright?” he said, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s waist. The taller’s breath hitched, hesitating for a moment before reaching his arms around Minseok’s frame, slowly closing his eyes, feeling the steady beat of Minseok’s heart against his chest.

 

“Alright.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongdae stands in the kitchen, watching Minseok curiously.

The smaller boy is seated on one of the tall chairs at the kitchen counter, carefully picking at a plate of eggs Jongdae had made him. He’d look up every once in a while just to look at the taller before smiling and going back to nibble on his eggs. Jongdae’s gaze would travel from the small boy to the canvas in the middle of his workspace every so often, background still intact, but still missing it’s subject.

Because its subject was sitting in front of him, breathing and heart beating, eating eggs at Jongdae’s kitchen counter.

The boy watched as Minseok cleared up his plate.

 _Was he just seeing things? Surely, this couldn’t really be happening. Had he_ really _gone crazy?_

“You’re not going crazy.” Minseok said after a moment, as if having read Jongdae’s thoughts.

“I…”

“I know you think you’re just seeing things but I’m here. I’m real.”

Jongdae sighed. “I know, I know… It just doesn’t… It doesn’t _feel_ real.”

“You don’t seem very scared… Is that a good sign?”

“I don’t think I could ever be scared of you.”

“Hey, that’s something.”

Jongdae offered the boy a weak smile.

“Maybe some tea would help,” Minseok said, rising from his seat. “I know it helps you out when you’re stressed.”

“How did you…”

“You talked a lot. Most of it was probably just you talking to yourself, but I like to think I’m a pretty good listener," Minseok explained, standing from his seat and leaving his plate in the sink. "Take a seat. I know this is a lot to take in at once."

Jongdae nodded mindlessly, taking Minseok's seat when the shorter had stood.

"Chamomile or jasmine?" Minseok asked, opening the cupboard.

"Jasmine," Jongdae responded as the shorter hummed. Jongdae watched in interest as Minseok opened the lid of the tea container, spooning the leaves into a small teapot and filled it up with water from the boiler, stopped right at the scratch near the top, just like how Jongdae liked it.

"You narrate your thoughts and actions a lot too," Minseok added as Jongdae's gazed flickered from the pot to the boy in disbelief. "It's actually quite amazing how much you learn about someone who doesn't seem to stop talking," he added with a small giggle.

"How... How much else do you know about me?"

Minseok shrugged. "I know Chanyeol and Baekhyun are your best friends. I know that they get you in loads of trouble but also care a lot about you."

The small boy sighed, stretching his arms out. "I know you teach part time on the weekends. I know... you sing really loudly when you think no one else can hear you."

"W-What else?"

Minseok smiled as he swirled the tea around in the teapot, grabbing a mug from Jongdae's cabinet and pouring him a cup, carefully pushing it towards the seated boy.

"I know you're lonely."

Jongdae stayed silent for a moment, fingers wrapping around the large blue mug in his hands. He looked down at it, a finger circling the rim of the cup and chuckling softly when he really took a good look at it.

"What is it?" Minseok asked.

"The mug..." Jongdae said absentmindedly.

"What about it?"

Jongdae said nothing for a moment, spinning the cup around so that Minseok could see its face. "It says 'Owl keep you warm'. And there's a picture of an owl on it. It's funny."

Minseok looked confused for a moment before his mouth split into a small smile.

"Yeah... I guess it is." he agreed, chuckling along.

Their chuckles faded off until all there was was the soft sound of wind brushing past the apartment, letting in a cool breeze. Jongdae's hands went back around the mug, goosebumps on his arms.

"Are you cold?" Minseok asked softly. Jongdae shook his head.

"No, no... I'm okay. I think I just need a nap or something. I just need some time to let this all... sink in."

Minseok nodded, turning on the tap to wash his plate.

"Oh, but are you okay being left alone?"

The smaller smiled. "I think I'll be fine. I don't mind being alone too much. I could just watch a movie in the meantime or something."

"Alright..." Jongdae said, rising from his seat, mug in hand. He stretched out his back, padding softly to his room before stopping to turn to Minseok. "Do you... know how to turn on the T.V.?"

The smaller wiped his wet hands dry with a towel, shaking his head. Jongdae nodded, walking over to the den with his smaller companion in tow, listening intently as the taller explained how the device worked.

It took a moment before the smaller got the hang of it, bidding Jongdae farewell as the artist retired to his room.

He sprawled out on his bed, hearing the soft sounds of dialogue coming from his living room as he let his eyes flutter closed. His mind was racing a mile a minute, still unable to completely wrap his mind around what had happened. He opened his eyes slowly, staring up at his ceiling. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, tapping an erratic beat on the surface as he sighed.

Minseok? Alive and in his home?

It all seemed too good to be true.

He groaned, rolling around in his bed as he let out a yell, muffled by his pillow.

What was he going to do?

What was he going to tell everyone?

Chanyeol invited himself in whenever he felt lonely, Jongdae knows he'd never hear the end of it if the giant walked in and saw Minseok hanging out.

Jongdae doesn't know how much time he wastes just rolling around in bed, but by the time he gets up, his tea is cold and his thoughts no more sorted than they were when he first lay down.

He trudged out of his room and placed the cup on the counter, walking up to where Minseok sat comfortably on the couch, snuggled up under a large blanket.

"Jongdae..." Minseok said, hand reaching for the remote.

"I can't sleep."

"Oh..."

"Do you think... I could stay with you for a bit?"

Minseok smiled. "Sure," he said, lifting up his blanket as an invitation. The artist smiled as he sat down, pulling the blanket up to his chin, sighing contentedly at the warmth.

"What're you watching?" Jongdae asked, stretching his legs out onto the ottoman in front of them.

"I... don't really know. It was already on when I turned it on and it seemed interesting."

The artist nodded, leaning back against the sofa and tilting his head back. Strangely enough, the couch seemed more comfortable than his bed had, quickly lulling him to sleep.

"Tired?" Minseok asked softly. The taller boy nodded slowly. The smaller smiled, reaching his arm over Jongdae's shoulders, the tired artist snuggled up to Minseok happily.

And in his hazy state of mind, he decides that he never wants to leave the boy's warm embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

When Jongdae wakes, he's still in Minseok's arms, snuggled up comfortably to his chest. The smaller boy was now asleep himself, head nodding forward every few moments before bouncing back up, tired eyes blinking a few times before his head would fall again.

"You're up..." he mumbled as the artist smiled up at the boy.

"Your neck will hurt if you fall asleep like this. Come on, let's go to bed."

Jongdae leads the smaller into the bedroom, pulling back the covers for the boy. Minseok crawled into the bed, breathing a small sigh of satisfaction when his back met with the firm mattress. The artist smiled as he climbed in after him, Minseok latched onto his side once he was settled in.

It was midday by now, the sun up high and burning bright, but Jongdae didn't care how badly he was messing up his sleep schedule.

For once, his bed didn't feel so big and lonely anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's early Sunday morning that Jongdae digs through his cabinets, frowning when he sees a lack of food.

As it had turned out, food disappeared a lot faster when two people ate a cupboard's worth of food meant only for one. Especially food meant for Jongdae, considering the young artist often forgot to eat when he was too absorbed in his work, often either eating a package of ramen or just ordering take out to save time.

The boy only sighed as he shuffled back to his room, pulling a clean shirt over his head and slipping into a pair of jeans. Minseok sat up in the bed from the noise, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"What time is it?" the small boy asked, voice raspy.

"11, I think."

"What are you doing up?"

"We're out of food. I'm gonna go grocery shopping. Do you wanna come?"

Minseok sat silent for a moment before nodding his head. "Okay."

"Do you want to change out of your clothes?" Jongdae asked, opening his closet door. "You haven't changed out of those in a few days."

Minseok chuckled. "Your fault for not painting me more clothes."

Jongdae rolled his eyes, pulling a shirt off the hanger and tossing it on the bed, followed shortly by a pair of shorts. "Here, clothes. No art necessary."

The smaller smiled as he pulled the covers off himself, tugging his own shirt off. Jongdae blushed at the sight of an expanse of bare skin, quickly turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

"I'll... uh... wait for you outside." he muttered quickly, averting eye contact as the smaller looked at Jongdae in confusion.

"A-Alright..."

The artist found himself pacing back and forth in the open space of his apartment, sighing as he put his hands over his face, flushed like a teenager who had just held hands with their crush for the first time.

"Are you okay?" Minseok had asked when he emerged from the bedroom, hands on the doorway as he peeked his head out. The artist nodded quickly, still averting eye contact when he had reached over to the counter to grab his keys.

"You don't seem very okay." Minseok said.

"No, no, I'm okay..." Jongdae said, keeping his gaze down as he tried to scurry out of the apartment.

"Jongdae..." the smaller began, grabbing onto the artist's wrist before he could get any further.

"I'm just... not used to this 'living with another person' thing. And seeing the person who I am living with without a shirt on... I am very much not used to that."

Minseok smiled. "Is that it?"

The artist nodded.

"Do you want to take off your shirt and make us even?"

Jongdae's gaze shot up, shaking his head furiously, inducing a soft laugh from Minseok.

"Let's just go..." Jongdae muttered, redder than before.

 

 

 

 

 

The pair walk down the city streets together. Minseok doesn't speak much throughout, more often opting to listen to Jongdae ramble in favour of actually speaking himself.

The artist led Minseok down the streets to his favourite market, a small street of vendors selling produce in little tents that lined the narrow road.

Out of all the places in the world, the market was one of Jongdae's favourite places to be. The street was always bursting with life, full of friendly faces and kind strangers. Jongdae's hand reached over to take Minseok's small one in his own.

"Careful, there's a lot of people. Don't get lost, alright?" he told the small boy, Minseok looking up at him and nodding absentmindedly, his focus mostly on the hustle and bustle of the market.

Jongdae led Minseok around to his favourite little booths, friendly grandmothers offering Jongdae samples of their fruits when they recognised him. The taller boy would smile, holding out pieces of sweet fruit for Minseok to try.

Jongdae makes sure to buy a bag of whatever makes Minseok's eyes light up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They retire to a nearby cafe not too long after, carrying bags full of fresh produce with them. Minseok seems a little tired after it all, but the smile had never left his face the moment they had first arrived at the market. He left the smaller at a table as he went off to order something for the two of them, arriving back a few moments later with two coffees and a small cake.

"As a reward for leaving the house today, I guess." he announced as he presented the smaller with a fork. Minseok smiled as he took the utensil in his hand, the artist pushing the slice of cake closer to the boy, wordlessly offering him the first bite, which the smaller took happily.

"So..." Jongdae began, absentmindedly stirring his coffee around his cup. "How're you liking the city so far?"

"I haven't seen a lot of it yet," Minseok said, fork pressed against his lower lip. "But it seems really nice so far."

Jongdae nodded. “I’m glad. There’s a lot more of the city to see, if you’re up for it.”

Minseok sat up a bit straighter, smiling widely. “I’d love to.”

The artist lifted the cup to his mouth, hiding his smile behind the rim of his cup as the small boy across the table carefully used his fork to cut himself a smaller piece of the cake.

Minseok's eyes seemed to light up whenever he found a flavour he enjoyed- something Jongdae had come to realise as he watched him curiously. Minseok had ended up eating most of the cake, Jongdae insisting that he wasn't hungry whenever the boy offered him a bite. Minseok would look at him for a moment, unsure of what to do until Jongdae smiled again, pushing the cake a little closer to encourage him to take another bite.

"I'm hogging it."

"No, it's okay. I don't like sweets too much anyways."

Minseok raised a brow. "Is that why your kitchen cupboards are always full of candy?"

Jongdae's smile fell. "H-How..."

"You talk a lot. Now just take a bite, stupid," he said, taking a piece of cake on his fork and holding it out for Jongdae. The artist shifted his gaze for a moment. "It's not like anyone's watching, just eat it."

Jongdae sighed as he leant forward, taking the cake in his mouth, lips automatically curling up at the edges the minute the sweetness hit his tongue.

The two finish up quickly at the cafe, taking their groceries back to the apartment as Minseok held his still-full coffee cup in his hand.

"It's good, you should try it." Jongdae said.

"It smells... weird."

"It might smell a little strong, but it gets better the more you drink it."

Minseok looked up at Jongdae warily, but brought the cup to his lips nonetheless, taking a small sip of the hot liquid before pulling it away immediately.

 _"Oh god.”_ he breathed. Jongdae chuckled.

"Bitter?"

 _"Little bit."_ he said through grit teeth.

"I’ll tell you what- when we get home, we can dump in all the sugar we can find."

Minseok nods eagerly at the idea, though he still took tentative sips of the drink on the way back home, scrunching up his face at the flavour the first few times until he eventually grew more accustomed to the taste. By the time Jongdae had unlocked his front door, the cup in the smaller boy’s hands was emptied.

Jongdae chuckled as he put the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter, pulling out the produce from the large reusable bags.

“Is it alright if I take a shower really quick?” Minseok asked, peeking his head out from the bedroom.

“Go ahead.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Jongdae smiled as he pulled his fridge door open, packing some food items away before turning his head around the kitchen.

Was something… buzzing?

He walked back up to the counter, digging under stray pieces of paper and old abandoned sketches before finding his phone buzzing incessantly. He hissed when his phone had finally stopped buzzing, only to see a flurry of missed calls, almost all from Chanyeol. He considered calling the elder back for a moment, but was interrupted by a call from Baekhyun.

“Hello?” Jongdae said tentatively.

 _“WHERE HAVE YOU_ BEEN _, KIM JONGDAE?”_ his friend nearly yelled into the phone, the younger needing to distance his phone from his face for a moment. _“WE’VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR OVER AN HOUR!”_

“Sorry… I went out and I guess I left my phone at home.”

_“You guess? YOU GUESS? Chanyeol has been on the floor sobbing for the past ten minutes because you weren’t returning his calls!”_

Jongdae couldn’t stop the scoff escaping his lips. “He _what?”_

 _“He misses you, okay? You know he’s an emotional person! Now just_ where _in the world have you been?”_

The younger pressed the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he continued unpacking his groceries. “Out.”

_“Don’t you play this card with me Jongdae, or so help me-“_

“Alright, alright… I was out grocery shopping.”

 _“It does_ not _take you an hour and a half to walk to the convenience store and buy your favourite cup noodles, I can guarantee you that much.”_  

“I didn’t go to the convenience store.”

_“Then where the hell did you go?”_

“The outdoor market.”

_“Jeez, who are you?_

“Sometimes you just want something a little more… wholesome.”

 _“Wholesome, my ass. What’s going on with you now? Beating your art block has never made you eat like one of…_ those _people.”_

“I’m just full of surprises.”

_“Jongdae, are you fucking someone?”_

“That’s a little crass. Why does it always come back to this with you?”

_“Because you’re always so secretive with me nowadays and I can’t be the bad friend that doesn’t know what’s happening with his best friend! So tell me, are you fucking anyone?”_

Jongdae paused for a moment.

_“Holy shit, you’re totally fucking someone.”_

“Okay, no, I’m not fucking anyone-“

_“Then are they fucking you?”_

“Baek,”

 _“Do you have someone you_ want _to or will_ soon _fuck? Like… a mouth date?”_

“I’m gonna hang up on you.”

 _“Come_ on _, JongJong! You need to introduce me! I need to meet the person that’s taking my sweet little Jongdae’s innocence. Who is the person that’s made my son into a man?”_

“Bye.” Jongdae said, grabbing his phone and hanging up on his protesting friend. He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair as he stretched out his back. He jumped when he heard a loud knocking from his front door, tentatively shuffling towards it and peering through the small peephole of his door and seeing Baekhyun’s face pressed uncomfortably close, as if side-eyeing Jongdae through the wood.

“I know you’re in there!” Baekhyun called from the other side of the door.

“How did you even get here this fast?” Jongdae called, banging his head lightly against the door.

“We were getting ice cream across the street because Chanyeol was sad! Now open the door right this second, young man! We need to have a talk!”

Jongdae groaned, opening the door.

“Why are you even here?” The artist asked, exasperated.

“You can’t hang up on verbal conversations, so now you _have_ to spill the beans!”

“J-Jongdae? Is everything okay out here?” Minseok asked softly as he inched out of the bedroom, wearing one of Jongdae’s old shirts.

“Oh my god.” Chanyeol whispered. “Is this him?”

“He’s adorable!” Baekhyun squealed, running up to the small flustered boy and pinching his cheeks.

“He looks familiar…” Chanyeol said, staring at the boy for a bit. “Is this the same person from the paintings in the exhibit?”

Jongdae and Minseok exchanged glances.

“Oh my god, it totally is, isn’t it?” Baekhyun asked, taking a step back and really looking at Minseok. “Have you been fucking him for this long and not telling me?”

Jongdae’s face flushed as he shook his head furiously.

“Aw, JongJong, there’s no need to be shy, we already know,” Chanyeol said comfortingly, patting a hand on the artist’s back. “It’s all a part of life.”

“But I’m not- We’re not-“

“So how did you two meet?” Chanyeol asked as Baekhyun pulled Minseok to the couch and sat cross legged, listening attentively to the small boy.

“Minseok, you don’t have to answer him!” Jongdae said.

“Ah… It was through his art.” The boy answered nonetheless.

“Oooooooh, how romantic!”

“What’s your occupation?”

“I… uh-“

“How many past relationships have you had?” Chanyeol asked as he leaned towards the small boy.

“Um… None?”

“Hmm… Interesting. Now was that by choice, or?”

“By choice, I guess?”

“What position did you make love in on the first night?” Baekhyun cut in.

“ _What is it with you and my sex life?”_ Jongdae groaned.

“Well you don’t ever tell me anything about it. I get curious, and you not telling me is making me want to know more! I was hoping Minseok would be a little nicer to me about it,” Baekhyun pouted, leaning on Minseok’s shoulder. “Do you see how mean he is to me? What do I do to deserve this?”

“That’s a bit of a broad question, no?”

“Things like this are only weird when you make them weird! I could tell you _all_ about Chanyeol and my sex life, because I don’t want you, my bestest best friend, to feel left out!”

“Please do not-“

“Like how last night, Chanyeol and I-“

“Bye Baekhyun!” Jongdae shouted, leaping forward to slap his hand over the elder’s mouth before he could let another word spill past his lips. “Great having you, swing by again next time!” he continued, pulling the boy up and pushing him towards the door.

“JongJong, I’m beginning to feel like you don’t want me around anymore.” Baekhyun pouted.

“Maybe if you stopped trying to pry into my sex life-“

“Okay, okay, gosh JongJong… I’ll cool it if you do.”

Jongdae narrowed his eyes, but moved aside so that Baekhyun could walk back to his place on the couch nonetheless. Baekhyun puffed out his cheeks.

“We never spend time together anymore, Dae. I’m starting to miss your dumb face. I know Chanyeol does too, he kept crying earlier because he was just missing you that much.”

“That’s true, I did do that.” Chanyeol agreed, nodding his head along.

“How about we all just watch a movie together or something?” Minseok suggested softly. “So then you guys could spend time together without all the… sex stuff.”

The giant beamed, nodding his head as he turned to Jongdae. “Can we? Can we can we can we?”

Jongdae sighed. “I mean, I guess…”

Baekhyun jumped from his seat on the couch. “Good enough for me! Chanyeol, grab the popcorn from my bag!” he called, running over to the large windows and pulling the blinds closed until they were shrouded in darkness.

“You brought popcorn with you?” Jongdae asked in disbelief. “That’s awfully convenient.”

“Any _true_ Byun Baekhyun fan would know I carry popcorn with me everywhere. You never know when you’re gonna need it, Dae.”

“Like now?” Chanyeol asked.

“Like now! Glad to know _someone_ understands me.” He says, sending a wink to his tall boyfriend.

“I’d spend my days crying myself to sleep if I were a true Byun Baekhyun fan and identified myself as such.”

“You’re a little hurtful sometimes but I still love you, JongJong.”

“Lucky me.” the artist said, plopping down on the couch next to Minseok.

“Your friends are nice. I like them.” he said quietly.

“Are we… seeing the same people?”

Minseok giggled softly. “They’re enthusiastic, that’s for sure.”

“That’s… putting it gently.”

“They also care for you a lot.”

Jongdae scoffed.

“They wouldn’t have barged into your home and started interviewing me like that if they didn’t care. They want to know if I’m worth your time.”

“It’s kind of them, but I already have my answer to that,” Jongdae said with a smile as he watched his two friends bicker in the kitchen over how long to microwave the popcorn to maximize the number of kernels popped while minimizing the number of burnt kernels. “They’re idiots, but honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

 

 

 

 

 

They began the movie soon after without much hassle from then, Baekhyun snuggled comfortably against Chanyeol while Jongdae and Minseok sat some small ways away. Jongdae sat awkwardly, unsure of what would be appropriate for the two.

They weren’t dating- hell, he wasn’t even sure if Minseok liked him enough to consider him a friend- they hadn’t known each other for long, after all. But at the same time, they would spend nights curled up against each other, Minseok often in Jongdae’s arms as they’d drift off. He wanted to slap himself. He sounded like a middle schooler overthinking their crushes actions.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

The movie's audio just turned to white noise, drowned out by Jongdae's overactive thought process. But everything in his head silenced the minute he felt a weight on his shoulder, accompanied by arms snaking around his.

"You're mumbling to yourself," Minseok said softly, pressed up against the artist's side as he slid his fingers through the gaps of Jongdae's own. "Stop picking at your skin like that..." he had chided, the artist not even noticing the small patch of roughed up skin on his hand. "That's not good... I'll go get you some lotion for that."

Jongdae could feel Minseok slipping out of his embrace, the taller holding on a bit tighter before he could completely leave his embrace.

"Wait-" he had said abruptly, a little too loud than he had meant to. "It's okay... Just stay here, we can get it after."

Minseok looked at him, unsure for a moment, but soon conceded, returning to his place next to the boy.

Jongdae doesn't remember much of the movie after that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongdae finds Minseok to be a lot touchier than he had expected, often holding onto him when they stood in line or whenever they roamed the streets. It makes it easier for the artist to be bolder with his actions, though his lack of physical intimacy in the past years leaves him more awkward than anything.

Minseok doesn't seem to mind.

More than anything, the smaller boy seems to enjoy the moments that Jongdae would take a deep breath as they walked down the street, taking a few seconds before quickly and ungracefully holding Minseok's hand in his own.

The small boy found it cute more than anything, often giggling behind his hand as Jongdae averted eye contact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more time Jongdae spends with Minseok, the more he comes to learn about the small boy.

And the more Minseok explores the world around him, the more Jongdae likes him.

It was like seeing a child experience the world for the first time. Seeing sights past the limits of his own canvas, tasting things for the first time, just _living._ He supposed that attitude was to be expected of someone who had only recently entered this reality, and it was like a breath of fresh air.

After so many years of living in the city, the charm, the novelty of it all had really worn off on the artist, but when he explored the sights with Minseok, it was like discovering them for the first time. They spent each week together in between shifts at Jongdae’s part-time job exploring new parts of the city.

Minseok, beginning to get a grasp of the city streets, always tries to pick up Jongdae when he feels confident enough to traverse the streets on his own, the artist always pleasantly surprised when he sees the smaller waiting outside the door for him.

It was a chilly spring day when Minseok visits him next.

It was uncharacteristically cold for the time of year, but still not unheard of. The skies were already a dark grey when Jongdae had left his apartment, and the clouds soon began pouring as Jongdae taught his lesson.

“Alright, that’s it for today guys,” Jongdae called out to the class, rolling down his sleeves. “Try to stay dry alright? Don’t come back next week sick!” he called out as the students filed out of the room, bidding their farewells to their teacher. Jongdae smiled as he straightened his shirt, seeing Minseok’s small frame in the door once the room had emptied. He held a large red umbrella in his hands, bundled up with a large jacket and scarf. The artist chuckled.

“Isn’t that a bit too much?”

Minseok shook his head. “I’m not taking any chances, I refuse to get sick.”

“You’ve never even been sick.”

“And I don’t plan to!”

Jongdae rolled his eyes, corners of his lips turned upwards. “Alright, alright, fair enough.”

“So, where to today?” Minseok asked behind his scarf as Jongdae slipped on his own jacket.

“I thought it would be nice to just explore the city centre today, though with the rain, I’m not sure how it’d go.”

Minseok shrugged. “I’m okay if you are.”

Jongdae smiled, reaching out his hand for the umbrella. “Then let’s go.”

The taller takes the liberty of holding the large umbrella over the two of them with one hand as the other held Minseok’s. Their intertwined hands swung back and forth as they continued down the streets, rainy skies making the day darker. It couldn’t have been any later than 6pm, but by the looks of it, it might as well have been midnight. The streets were crowded at this time, mostly full of people either trying to get home for the night or shopping on the brightly lit strip. Jongdae held on a little tighter to Minseok’s hand, almost afraid he’d lose the smaller boy in the crowded streets.

“Are you hungry? We can stop somewhere to eat,” Jongdae suggested as they traipsed the path. “There’s a good food stand just up the road, if you’re interested.”

Minseok hummed for a moment before nodding his head, following the artist as he led him through the crowd. They spot the small cart covered by a large tent, quickly seeking refuge from the rain underneath. Jongdae couldn’t help but smile, watching the look of bliss that graced the smaller boy’s features whenever he ate. He often found himself watching Minseok eat rather than eating for himself, finding it much more satisfying knowing that the smaller was enjoying his food.

They soon bid the vendor at the cart a goodbye as they ventured back out in the streets, which had cleared considerably since they had last walked down it.

With everything much clearer, Minseok more enthusiastically leads Jongdae into stores, trying on all the things he could find. The boy beamed at Jongdae, poorly concealing a laugh.

“I found something for you.”

“What is it?”

“If I show you, you have to promise me you’re gonna wear it.”

“Should I be scared?”

“No, no,” Minseok said with a laugh. “It’s alright, I promise.”

Jongdae shrugged. “I’m all yours.”

The small boy pulled his arms out from behind his back, presenting Jongdae with a bright yellow hat, complete with long ears on the top and the face of a smiling Pikachu right on the front.

“It’s like I’m looking at a set of twins!” Minseok added with a giggle.

Jongdae just chuckled. “Alright, alright,” he said, taking the hat from Minseok and pulling it over his head. His heart fluttered when Minseok’s laughter grew a bit louder.

 

When they leave the store, the soft breeze that had been present throughout the day had intensified a bit, becoming harsher as they walked down the road. The umbrella ended up failing to protect them from some of the rain blowing at their sides, leaving their sides wet as they walked.

Jongdae had to stop for a moment in the street to try to adjust the umbrella, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Minseok looking up at him with those eyes, those big brown eyes of his. His hair was littered with little raindrops that clung onto him for dear life, his features so soft under the lighting from all the stores around them.

He was beautiful.

Jongdae wondered how he ever got so lucky to have Minseok in his life.

“Jongdae?” the smaller boy said after a moment, voice as soft and beautiful as it always was.

The artist hummed, searching the small boy’s eyes for a moment. It almost seemed like the shorter was doing the same.

He had 101 things running through his mind in that moment, but they all stopped when Minseok stood up on his toes, leaving a peck on his lips before lowering himself back down. Jongdae tried to swallow the lump in his throat as his face reddened.

“W-What was that for?”

Minseok smiled that smile that Jongdae loved to see.

"Just because."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more time he spends around Minseok, the easier he finds it to get close.

Holding his hands stops being a stressful task that takes several minutes of build up to get done- no, by now, it was like second nature. It almost feels like the spaces between his fingers were meant for Minseok's.

Some days, they won't leave the bed for hours, choosing instead to pepper kisses on each other's cheeks. Others, they'll spend exploring all they can, taking pictures all along the way.

As the weather got hotter and hotter and time in the oven that was Jongdae's apartment became more and more unbearable, Jongdae took the liberty of buying them train tickets for the day so they could spend some time outside of the city, and far, _far_ away from the blazing heat of the apartment.

The taller takes the liberty of packing their bags for the day, wanting their destination to remain a secret to the smaller until they had made it to where he had wanted them to go.

Minseok sat at the window seat, watching the scenery pass by, turning every few moments just to ask Jongdae where they were going, like the artist would actually answer him. Even though the only answer he ever got was a knowing smile and a shrug, the smaller would always find himself asking anyways, hoping to eventually get it out.

He leads Minseok out of the train station once they reach their stop, excitedly pulling him through the streets he once knew like the back of his hand. They ran and they ran and they ran until they reached their destination- a small secluded part of a beach that stretched out quite a long distance, clear waters splashing at the shoreline.

He looked to Minseok, trying to gauge his reaction, beaming when he saw the telltale sparkle that came to the smaller boy's eyes whenever he saw something he loved.

Jongdae barely had the time to react when he saw the wide beam on the smaller's face as he kicked off his shoes, running straight towards the water with the artist following closely behind, sporting an equally large smile on his own face.

Minseok dove straight in, stopping only when the water became too deep for him to stand comfortably in the water. His hair stuck to his face in messy strands, Jongdae smiling at the sight, unable to stop himself from getting closer to press a peck on the boy's cheek.

"What was that for?" Minseok asked, laughing.

"Just because."

 

 

 

 

 

They spend their day together at the beach, the both of them yelling on the nearly empty beach, just happy to be experiencing something so nice together.

It takes them a while to dry off completely, Jongdae draping a beach towel over Minseok's shoulder as they walked around the beach, leaving footprints in their wake.

The artist turns to the smaller as they walk the shoreline, smiling as he holds his fist up.

"Rock, paper, scissors. Loser buys ice cream." Jongdae says. Minseok pursed his lips.

"I'm not feeling ice cream right now."

Jongdae raised a brow. "But you _always_ want sweet things."

"How about instead, the loser carries the winner around?"

"Deal."

 

 

 

Minseok ends up losing.

Jongdae almost feels bad for a moment when the smaller stretches out his back, throwing the towel off his shoulders and bending over, waiting for the artist to jump on his back so that he could properly piggyback him.

"What're you waiting for?"

"I don't know... Are you gonna be okay?"

Minseok rolled his eyes. "I'm not made of porcelain, I'll be fine. I lost the game anyways."

Jongdae looked unsure but jumped on anyways, drawing in a breath when he felt Minseok's arms wrap around his thighs.

"You're... a lot stronger than I remember."

Minseok chuckled. "Is that a good thing?"

"I mean, if it means I'm not gonna fall and get a mouth full of sand, I'd say it's a pretty good thing. Now onwards, my noble steed. Your king wants to see the world."

Minseok laughed but complied nonetheless, running around the beach with the taller on his back, screeching out of fear from moving too fast.

"Your king wants to be put down now!" he screeched as Minseok picked up the pace. The smaller boy laughed heartily as he slowed down, bending down until Jongdae's feet could touch the floor again. He let out a loud sigh as he plopped himself down on the sand, chuckles still escaping his lips.

Jongdae, high off the adrenaline, joins in, plopping himself down next to Minseok and laughing as he stares up at the clear blue skies, slowly fading into a beautiful orange. He turns his head a bit to take a look at Minseok, the rise and fall of his chest for every giggle that bubbled up his throat. He rolled over so that he was towering over Minseok, hands on either side of the boy's head with his knees on either side of his hips.

Jongdae pushed back some of the hair covering Minseok's forehead, and through soft chuckles of his own, he leant down to take the boy's lips in a kiss.

He felt elated.

He can't remember a time where he had ever felt like this, felt so high just from spending time with someone the same way he felt when he spent time with Minseok.

He thinks everything would be okay if he could just spend his life like this with the boy.

It felt like he was dreaming.

And if he was, he never wanted to wake up.

 

 

 

 

 

"What was that for?" Minseok asked, still giggling when they parted.

Jongdae gave him a wide smile before pressing his face into the crook of Minseok's neck.

 

"Just because."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I CONGRATULATE YOU IF YOUVE MADE IT THIS FAR BECAUSE THAT WAS A LOTTO WORD VOMIT  
> THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR I APPRECIATE THAT  
> ALSO IM SORRY


End file.
